Respect and protect
Twenty-one years ago the World Health Organization (WHO) declared 1 December the first World AIDS Day. Its aim was, and remains, to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS issues, and particularly the need for support and understanding for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Since then, World AIDS Day has been established as one of the world’s most successful commemorative days. It is now recognised and observed by millions of people in more than 190 countries. And the day has also become an opportunity to highlight the need for continued development of education and prevention strategies.
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is primarily transmitted in blood, semen and vaginal fluids via unprotected sex or sharing injecting equipment. HIV belongs to a group of viruses called retroviruses known for the capacity to copy their genetic blueprint onto the genes of the host person’s cells. HIV has been identified as the virus that causes AIDS.
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is not a single disease. It is a broad range of conditions that occur when a person’s immune system is seriously damaged after years of attack by the HIV. The terms HIV and AIDS are not interchangeable. It is important to remember that a person who is infected with HIV does not necessarily have AIDS. However, all people with AIDS have been infected with HIV.
HIV damages the body’s immune system and renders the body vulnerable to other diseases and infections – its symptoms are most commonly similar to those of any chronic viral infection. During advanced stages of HIV infection, a person may develop any of a number of so-called opportunistic infections considered to be AIDS defining illnesses.
The ability of HIV to live outside the body is very limited and, therefore, HIV is not particularly easy to transmit. It is a communicable disease, but it is not contagious like air-borne viruses such as influenza. HIV cannot be transmitted by hugging, shaking hands, coughing or sneezing. Nor can it be transmitted by sharing glasses, cups or utensils or by insect bite.
There are three main modes of HIV transmission: unprotected anal and vaginal sexual intercourse; sharing drug injecting equipment; and mother to child transmission during pregnancy, birth or breast feeding.
Exposure to HIV contaminated blood is another potential route of transmission. Injecting drug users who share needles and syringes are at risk of HIV infection because there is often a small amount of blood left in the syringe after injection. This type of exposure can also occur during skin piercing and tattooing procedures if equipment has not been properly sterilised after having previously being used on someone with HIV. Body piercing or tattooing should always be undertaken at licensed studios that use new ink pots for each procedure and disposable needles or an autoclave to sterilise equipment.
Worldwide, the prevalence of HIV infection has progressed to generalised epidemics, occurring mainly through unprotected heterosexual contact. There are about 35 million people living with HIV, two thirds of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. Somewhere in the world, every 12 seconds another person contracts HIV infection.
The theme for World AIDS Day this year is “human rights and access to treatment” – two issues, in Australia, we tend to take for granted. Nevertheless HIV/AIDS is still a major concern in Australia where transmission continues to occur primarily through sexual contact between men. Among newly acquired HIV infection, male homosexual contact was reported in 86% of cases. Between 1981 and 2008 there were over 28,000 diagnoses of HIV infection, more than 10,000 diagnoses of AIDS-related illness and nearly 7,000 deaths.
Wherever we live we can combat AIDS by “respect and protect”. By respecting and protecting ourselves and others we can stop the spread of the HIV and put an end to prejudice. Check out the World AIDS Day website at www.worldaidsday.org and two excellent Australian websites www.worldaidsdaynsw.org and www.aidsday.org.au
Or you can get more information about HIV and AIDS from pharmacies around Australia providing the Pharmaceutical Society’s Self Care health information. Ask for the HIV/AIDS fact card.